‘Proper midwinter stuff': Coldest days of the year so far arriving in Adeliade and Canberra, while Brisbane and Sydney to see chilliest mornings yet
Meanwhile, mornings in Brisbane and Sydney are forecast to be the chilliest they have been yet in 2025, with lows for Queensland expected to enter single digits.
Winter has firmly set in on the east coast this week, with Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe explaining Wednesday was Sydney's coldest day of the year so far by a 'considerable margin' with the city seeing a maximum of just 14.1C.
Sharpe said the chill in New South Wales' central east was due to southerly winds brining rain and cold air as it rolls through the area, and Sydneysiders are now facing their coldest mornings of 2025 so far as the week progresses.
Sydney is set to see daily lows drop to single figures for most of the next seven days and the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a chilly 6C for Friday morning.
'I'm not sure it's going to be quite that cold on Friday, but we will be feeling the chill and then we'll be having another cold belt, Monday, Tuesday, with daytime tops again back to just 16 degrees,' Sharpe said.
Brisbane could drop to 9C on both Thursday and Friday mornings and Sharpe said the forecasted lows are 'easily the coldest we've seen so far this year' for Queensland's capital.
Temperatures in Brisbane are looking more mild for Saturday through to Monday, but another cold dip could arrive as early as Wednesday next week.
Canberra has been forecast to plummet to a freezing low of –4C on Thursday and Friday morning is also set to be below zero, reaching a low of –3C.
Wet weather is looking set to roll into Adelaide from Thursday, with the city also likely to see its coldest 2025 day yet this weekend.
'With temperatures as low as 13C on Sunday, easily the coldest day of the year so far there as well. So, proper midwinter stuff coming through,' Sharpe said.
Sharpe said Monday next week could be Canberra's coldest day of the year so far, with a high of just 9C and a low of 0C forecast.
Windy and cold conditions are expected for Melbourne and Hobart over the next seven days and the Victorian capital could dip to just 4C on Thursday.
It will be a different story in Perth and Darwin, however, with the West Australian capital largely avoiding the nail-biting temperatures sending a shiver down the east coast.
'The cold temperatures have really avoided the region and the showers that we've been seeing constantly, they're going to be gradually clearing. So, an improvement in the weather on the way there,' Sharpe said.
Darwin appears set for balmy conditions over the next seven days, with Sharpe saying the northernmost capital 'seems immune' from the cold spell.
Daily highs of 31 are expected in Darwin for the next week beginning Thursday, with the city projected to drop to a seven-day low of 20.
Rain, strong winds, thunderstorms, and even hail and snow have been forecast in parts of the country's south-east by the BOM, as a strong cold front hits southern SA, NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania from Saturday afternoon into next week.
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The Advertiser
39 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Quiet 'missing middle' kids left struggling at school
Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard."
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Dire fears for pair after plane disappears
A desperate search has been launched for a light plane carrying two Tasmanians, after it disappeared crossing the Bass Straight travelling to regional Victoria. The plane - carrying the pilot and one passenger - left George Town airport at 12.45pm on Saturday, setting off for Victoria and then on to Central NSW. When it did not reach its destination as scheduled, family members alerted authorities. A multi-agency operation led by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is now underway, with planes, helicopters and boats searching for the missing pair. An urgent search is underway in the Bass Strait after a light plane carrying two Tasmanians went missing. Supplied Credit: Supplied A spokesperson for AMSA said the alarm was sounded early on Saturday evening. 'Just after 5pm on Saturday evening, concern was raised after the aircraft failed to land in Central Western NSW,' the spokesperson said. 'AMSA has tasked a Tasmania Police helicopter (POLAIR 72) to conduct aerial search efforts around Georgetown, and adjacent parts of northern Tasmania. A rescue jet is also scouting the Bass Strait from the air. 'Search efforts are expected to continue throughout Sunday,' the spokesperson said. Tasmanian and Victorian police are assisting with the search. The Spirit of Tasmania was reportedly diverted to assist the search. NewsWire / Sarah Matray Credit: News Corp Australia 'A search for a missing light plane with two people on board has resumed in Bass Strait this morning,' Tasmania Police said in a statement. 'The plane did not reach its destination as scheduled and authorities were notified by concerned family members that it was overdue. 'As a result, a search operation involving plane, helicopter and marine resources was activated last night.' Tasmania Police advised that residents in the north of the state would see 'ongoing aerial search activities'. The ABC reported that the Spirit of Tasmania was diverted to help with the search, but was later let go to continue its journey.
Sky News AU
6 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Massive disruption': Police issue major warning as pro-Palestinian demonstrators prepare to shut down Harbour Bridge sparking commuter chaos
Motorists have been warned to prepare for the worst with authorities forced to shut countless arterial roads as thousands of demonstrators gear up to march across Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge. On Saturday NSW Police and Premier Chris Minns were handed a significant blow after Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application to deem the Palestine Action Group's Sydney Harbour Bridge demonstration unlawful. Despite police stating the march would put 'public safety' in jeopardy and force the city to a grinding halt, Justice Rigg said the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech outweighed any other argument. 'The application by the commissioner should be refused,' she said in her judgment with protestors also afforded immunity from a litany of offences including blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. The last-minute court ruling has left authorities scrambling as Police Minister Yasmine Catley pleaded for Sydneysiders to avoid using the Harbour Bridge at all costs. 'Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays,' Ms Catley said. Protestors are expected to congregate as Sydney's Lang Park and will stream across the Harbour Bridge from 1pm onwards. The bridge will be closed in both directions between 11.30am and 4pm on Sunday afternoon, with the march set to last more than three hours in total. According to organisers Palestine Action Group the protest will begin at York and Grosvenor streets at 1:30pm with demonstrators then crossing the bridge and finishing up their march at Bradfield Park, North Sydney. Organisers believe over 50,000 people could attend the protest. Conditions are set to stay soggy and wet with 10 to 35mm of showers forecasted by the Bureau of Meteorology. Police are urging commuters to steer clear of the CBD completely, and to expect severe traffic delays with the protest not only set to impact the bridge but causing a flow on effect throughout the entire public transport and road network. 'There will be significant delays and disruption so if you must travel, allow plenty of additional journey time, particularly for any critical travel, such as going to the Airport,' police said in a statement. Authorities have warned of "extensive queues" in both directions of the Sydney Harbour Bride and Tunnel which will extend to the Western Distributor, Anzac Bridge and the Rozelle Interchange as well as the Eastern Distributor in the south and the Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel in the north. Major CBD corridors including York Street, Clarence Street, the Cahill Expressway, the Western Distributor and Grosvenor Street will be closed in addition to substantial chunks of the Pacific Highway, Blue Street and Lavender Street. Bus services using the brige will terminate at either North Sydney or Wynward between 11:30am and 4pm with trains set to run as normal. However Transport NSW has warned of protracted delays to the rail network. The Metro will also be closed for planned trackwork's, and the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford light rail will truncate at Town Hall. Police have launched a high-visibility response to the planned demonstration with Acting Deputy Commissioner Mckenna stating 'the whole gambit of police' will be in attendance' and would be 'right along the route' of the march. 'Police will have a high-visibility presence at the operation today and will work with participants to ensure there are no breaches of the peace,' Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Adam Johnson said at a press conference on Sunday. 'Any unlawful or dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated or any actions that risk the safety of others. Police will not hesitate to take appropriate action against anyone who commits a criminal offence,' he said. Hundreds of officers will be deployed from local and specialist commands and will be briefed from 8am with the aim of keeping the public safe and limiting interruptions where possible. Aciting Deputy Commissioner McKenna reiterated that protestors were not exempt from numerous charged. "They're not exempt from malicious damage, they're not exempt from assaults, they're not exempt from hate speeches, hate crime, that sort of thing," he said. Palestine Action Group organiser and media spokesperson Josh Lees remained defiant amid fierce scrutiny and said the Supreme Court's decision was 'absolutely mind blowing." He said there was an intense 'urgency to this situation' in regard to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
